Wait…Is This Depression? 5 Tell Tale Signs
As a psychologist, one of the questions I get asked the most often is “is this depression?”. People typically have been suffering with depression for quite some time before they come to see a therapist. There are many reasons why it takes a long time for people to get into therapy, but one of them is that they simply don’t recognize their symptoms as depression. They tend to say they have been feeling “stressed” or “overwhelmed.” Sometimes they attribute it to what’s happening in their life (new job or trouble in their romantic relationship) and assume it will go away once the problem resolves. Unfortunately, often these symptoms linger even after the problem has been resolved and it's important to recognize when it’s time to ask for help. While sadness, loneliness and grief are all normative parts of the human experience, there are a few telltale signs that you have gone past what is normative and into what we call “clinical depression.”
Duration: Clinical Depression is a period of low mood or sadness that lasts 2 weeks or more. You can’t pull yourself out of it by putting on a funny TV show or talking to a friend.
Can’t Function: When we are sad, we can still go about our responsibilities and that in itself can help cheer us up. When we are depressed, going about our daily responsibilities feels like swimming through molasses. Everything seems very difficult, we delay tasks longer than usual and let things go to the wayside. Dishes start piling up, showering becomes less frequent, meetings get missed and we start telling our loved ones we are unavailable to go out.
Physical Symptoms: While depression is considered a psychological disorder, it has many physical symptoms. You may feel low energy, experience changes in your sleep or appetite. You may also experience restlessness or find yourself moving sluggishly throughout your day. These symptoms make it difficult for you to function.
Hopelessness: This is when you don’t expect anything good to happen or for you to achieve any success in what typically matters to you. When a situation feels hopeless, we tend to stop engaging with it and this compounds the hopelessness.
Suicidal Thoughts: These are thoughts about wanting to “not be here” and do something to harm or kill yourself. While most people find them shocking, when someone is depressed these thoughts can be actually comforting. If you or someone you know is experiencing suicidal thoughts, you need to contact a mental healthcare provider right away. You can also walk into any emergency room and ask for help or tell your physician.
Often when I diagnose someone with depression for the first time, they feel the weight of the diagnosis and it can be overwhelming. But I always tell them the same thing: While depression is one of the most prevalent mental illnesses of our time, we have so many tools to help treat it. And I mean a lot of tools! Different types of talk therapy, different medications, treatment programs, support groups…. You name it, we got it! So yes, you have depression… but that doesn’t necessarily mean you will always have depression. With the right support, you will get better and have the meaningful life you want. It all starts with asking for help. To learn more about what psychotherapy can do for you, contact me today at srizvi@sarahrizviphd.com.
If you or a loved one have been experiencing suicidal thoughts, contact the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline by visiting https://suicidepreventionlifeline.org/ or calling 1-800-273-8255.